<font color='navy' size='2' face='Comic Sans MS, sans-serif'><font size="2"><font color="#000080" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif">Come on now Wim....I'll take Duanes point on this in that having the title of RPT..... entitles no one to much of anything. Many of the finest techs I have known are not RPTs or </font><font color="#000080" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif">members</font><font color="#000080" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif"> of the Guild for that matter. Conversely there are some fairly incompetent people in our field who have titles. Sorry its true. They study to take the test to get the title but don't grow beyond it. I mean no offense to those souls,... so if any thing is taken, let it be as a challenge to improve. Its the commitment to improvement over time that makes the difference and I aknowledge we are all somewhere on a learning curve. Hey, I heartily get that and affirm that.</font></font> <div><font color="#000080" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif" size="2"> In my opinion. The<u> minimum </u>requirement standards to pass the RPT tests are not that high(talking min. now so don't jump me) compared to the skill needed to actually provide comprehensive service on  pianos  at a relatively high level.</font> <div><font color="#000080" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif" size="2">  SO its a moot point. On the other hand, joining the guild provides a source of <u>invaluable information...</u> and <u>networking opportunities so</u> one can better themselves. Then it is possible to offer comprehensive service if they so choose. It really all boils down to individual motivation and desire. Enough said. </font></div> <div><font color="#000080" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif" size="2"> Flame suit buttoned up!</font></div> <div><font size="2"><font color="#000080" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif"> Duane..... are you a member? Just curious<br> </font><br> </font> <div style="color: navy; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', sans-serif; clear: both;"><font color="royalblue"><font face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, Serif"><font color="black"><font color="mediumblue" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif"><font size="2">Dale Erwin R.P.T.</font><br> </font></font></font></font><font color="darkgreen" style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><b><font size="1"><br> <font color="darkgreen"></font></font></b></span></font><tt style="font-size: 10pt;"><tt><font color="darkgreen"><br> </font></tt></tt><br> </div> <div style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><font face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif"><br> </font></span></div> <div style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;"><font face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Now, I don't want to start another "do or don't" war.....however, since 99% of </span><br> </font> <div id="AOLMsgPart_1_1912dc29-7d23-4946-bac6-7fa66fca6ff9"><font color="black" size="2"> <div style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;"><blockquote style="padding-left: 3px; border-left-color: blue; border-left-width: 2px; border-left-style: solid;"><pre><tt><font face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif">my customers are like the ones David is talking about - I don't see the - need - to become an RPT. Just stating - and - no further commentary is wanted. Duaine</font></tt></pre></blockquote></div> <div style="font-family: arial, helvetica;"></div> <div style="font-family: arial, helvetica;">I guess if you're happy and satisfied doing nothing but pitch raises on old upright, then I would agree there might not be a need to become an RPT. But becoming an RPT might give you the ability to work on better and newer pianos, and actually build a clientele that will help your business. </div> <div style="font-family: arial, helvetica;"> </div> <div style="font-family: arial, helvetica;">Wim</div> <div style="font-family: arial, helvetica; clear: both;"> <div> </div> </div> <div style="font-family: arial, helvetica;"></div> <div style="font-family: arial, helvetica;"></div> <div style="font-family: arial, helvetica; color: black; font-size: 10pt;">-----Original Message-----<br> From: Duaine Hechler <<a href="mailto:dahechler@att.net">dahechler@att.net</a>><br> To: pianotech <<a href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</a>><br> Sent: Sun, Jan 13, 2013 11:32 pm<br> Subject: Re: [pianotech] tuning without stripping<br> <br> <div style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Sans-Serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" id="AOLMsgPart_0_b41747ea-ec13-432b-abd5-94959acfc946"> <pre style="font-size: 9pt;"><tt>On 01/13/2013 11:31 PM, David Nereson wrote: > > > On Sun, Jan 13, 2013 at 2:01 PM, John Formsma <<a href="mailto:formsma@gmail.com">formsma@gmail.com</a> <<a href="mailto:formsma@gmail.com?">mailto:formsma@gmail.com</a>>> wrote: > > Me too...mostly. Strip muting is always faster for me. I do occasionally like to tune with two mutes. But the > piano has to already be very close in tune for that to work well. > > That's right. And most people's pianos are not, because they let them go too long. I'd say a good 2/3 to 3/4 of > the pianos I tune, maybe more, need a pitch raise first, even if it's just 5 or 10 cents. But many of them are > more like 15 to 30 cents flat. And a good percentage of them need the lost motion taken out first. > > Those two things of course use up almost the whole 2 hours allotted for the appointment, which is why there's > almost never occasion to do any fine-regulating, touchweight modification, or voicing. All these high-level piano > servicing classes offered at the conventions are great if you're working mostly for concert-level artists or even > university piano professors, but "in the trenches" of real-world tuning for Mr. or Ms. average piano owner in the > suburbs, there's almost never an opportunity to use that level of knowledge. Or the owners just don't have the funds > or see the need for it at their beginner or amateur level of playing. (, all of which doesn't have anything to do > with strip mutes, of course; just doing some minor venting here....) > --David Nereson, RPT > > Now, I don't want to start another "do or don't" war.....however, since 99% of my customers are like the ones David is talking about - I don't see the - need - to become an RPT. Just stating - and - no further commentary is wanted. Duaine -- Duaine Hechler Piano, Player Piano, Pump Organ - Tuning, Servicing & Rebuilding (314) 838-5587 / <a href="mailto:dahechler@att.net">dahechler@att.net</a> / <a target="_blank" href="http://www.hechlerpianoandorgan.com">www.hechlerpianoandorgan.com</a> Home & Business user of Linux - 12 years </tt></pre> </div> </div> </font> </div>  </div> </div> </div> </font>